The efficiency of a heating process can be enhanced, and costs of capital equipment and operations lowered, when solar energy is used to supplement the heating process. Collecting, storing, and using solar or thermal energy on an ocean-based platform has proven difficult due to weather, corrosion, biofouling and the costs associated with traditional solar energy collecting equipment, such as solar cells.
In light of the foregoing and other drawbacks currently associated with the collection, storage, and use of solar and thermal energy in an ocean environment, there remains a need for an efficient system and method for collecting solar energy received by the ocean, and for storing large quantities of thermal energy in an ocean environment.